UPDATE: Thanks to Dan Savage, UW Drag Show Sells Out

Here’s your heartwarming story for the day: remember my post yesterday about Julaine Appling, the “pro-family” homophobe from the Badger State who’s raising a stink about an upcoming drag show at the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley?

At the time I published the post, only about half the tickets to the show had been sold. I decided to buy a few tickets and donate them to the UW-Fox Valley Gay-Straight Alliance as a way to show support, and closed my post by asking if anyone else felt like joining me.

Now here’s where it gets freaking awesome: after publishing the piece I posted it to Facebook and Twitter as usual, but this particular tweet happened to catch the attention of a certain amazing author, media personality, and advice columnist named Dan Savage. Not only did Dan retweet the story to his 140,000+ Twitter followers, he also said that he wanted to help UW-Fox Valley sell out the show.

To make a long story short, after talking with Dan and getting him in touch with the UW-Fox Valley box office, he decided to buy all the remaining tickets and donate them to the school to distribute free of charge to students and community members!

Amazing, right? I’m incredibly touched that a tireless national LGBT advocate like Dan would team up with a blogger in Vermont to help make a university drag show in northeastern Wisconsin a success. What a great gift to the entire Fox Valley community! And as a bonus, it’s also great way to stick it to Ms. Appling and the puritans over at Wisconsin Family Action.

Thanks, Dan. A free drag show and a one-finger salute for the haters? Sounds like a win-win to me.

Amazing John and Dan both. I knew they sold out but I didnt realize you had something to do with it. Reading this reminds me why i am always happy to call you a good friend. It has been difficult with the show in the area. Not only do I have to listen to the bigotry of people, but always great to see you help out your home state. Thanks on behalf of my friend Erick also a performer in the show on thursday, under the alias Tres Demaj, so again thank you for everything.

A couple of local DJs named Ms. Appling this week’s WEENIE of the Week.http://www.wapl.com/index.php/Interactive/Blogs/Rick%20and%20Len/R/2799 … ” And for apparently thinking that if she got them to shut down the drag show she’d prevent people from seeing men wearing dresses when all anyone had to do is turn on the TV this week and see the College of Cardinals in their flowing red gowns.”